5 Things To Watch For When Michigan Takes On Maryland

The No. 18 Michigan football team has just two more games remaining in its regular season, and it needs to win both of them to have a shot at the College Football Playoff.

On Saturday, the Wolverines will take on their first of those challenges in Maryland. After winning four straight games to start the season, the Terrapins have dropped their last six in a row, and sit at 1-6 in the Big Ten.

Michigan is coming off two close wins over teams it had a chance to beat more handily — beating a struggling Purdue 21-16, and needing a last-second field goal to take down Northwestern, 24-22 — so the Wolverines could certainly use a convincing victory to give them a boost in the rankings before meeting No. 1 Ohio State to finish out the season.

Here are five things to keep an eye on when Michigan takes on Maryland…

The Terrapins throw the ball a lot. They lead the Big Ten in passing attempts with 387, but are 17th in the conference in completion percentage at 57.9%. It’s an odd combination of volume and lack of success, but Maryland hasn’t shied away from airing the ball out all year.

Michigan’s pass defense definitely isn’t as stout as its run defense, but if the Wolverines can make Terrapins freshman quarterback Malik Washington uncomfortable, Maryland’s offense might stall out.

But if Michigan struggles to stop the pass, Maryland might be able to keep up and force yet another close game.

The Wolverines might be down both of their star running backs Saturday, forcing some less experienced guys to step up. Junior Justice Haynes certainly won’t be ready to go after undergoing surgery on his right foot, and sophomore Jordan Marshall’s injury designation is unclear after he suffered a shoulder injury last week.

This means that junior Bryson Kuzdzal and freshman Jasper Parker might be asked to take on much larger roles than usual. Run defense is a weakness for the Terrapins, allowing over 200 rushing yards per game to Big Ten opponents. Even if Marshall is indeed not ready to go, the Wolverines won’t shy away from the ground game, and Kuzdzal and Parker may be set for breakout performances.

Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is another guy that could pick up some slack in the run game if both Marshall and Haynes are out. Underwood has proven that he is adept at using his legs to pick up yardage, and Maryland’s defense presents him with a solid opportunity to do more of it.

Underwood has shown improvements in his passing game over the course of the season, but he’s at his best when he is a threat to both run and pass. If he can establish both aspects of his game, he could be set up for a big day as well.

One of the Terrapins’ biggest strengths is their ability to come down with interceptions, as they lead the Big Ten with 18 on the year. Underwood has struggled in the past two games with interceptions, throwing one against Purdue and two against Northwestern.

On the whole, Underwood has been pretty good at staying away from turnovers this season, and the Wolverines hope that the last two games were a fluke. If they want to come away with a big win, they’ll have to take care of the ball, otherwise the Terrapins could hang around.

It’s hard not to pay attention to the looming threat of Ohio State. Each and every year, the clash between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes is the biggest matchup of the year for both teams, and maybe even the country. But in order for The Game to mean anything in the way of making the playoffs, the Wolverines have to beat Maryland first.

Even with the matchup against Ohio State so close, the Wolverines can’t let those thoughts get in the way of handling business against the Terrapins.